In recent years the use of mobile phones has become more common. With the increased popularity of mobile phones comes an increased load on wireless network infrastructure. Because of the high demand for resources associated with wireless network infrastructure, wireless service providers desire optimal use of each component of their infrastructure. The paging channel is one piece of wireless infrastructure that service providers want to use optimally. By optimizing use of the paging channel, the service provider hopes to maximize busy hour call attempts in order to serve an ever increasing number of subscribers. One way to maximize busy hour call attempts is to forgo paging mobiles that are unable to respond to page messages.
Before a mobile phone has a dedicated voice channel, it communicates with an MSC, via a base station, by receiving messages on a paging channel and sending messages on an access channel. The paging channel is used to inform a mobile phone of an attempt to complete a call to the mobile. The access channel is used by a mobile phone to inform a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) of a location update, a registration attempt, an attempt to originate a call or other orders and messages. When a mobile phone turns off, it sends a power-down registration to the MSC. The MSC notes that the mobile is inactive and forgoes paging the mobile until the mobile is active again. By not paging a mobile device, an MSC saves paging channel resources for page attempts to mobiles that are more likely to respond.
One characteristic of wireless environments is that communications are not always completed as planned. For example, if a subscriber powers down a mobile device in a bad RF environment such as an elevator, an office, or even a home, an MSC may not receive a power-down registration message. Because the power-down message is not received, the mobile device is not marked inactive at the MSC. If there is an attempt to complete a call to a mobile device that has powered down without sending a power-down registration message, the MSC pages the mobile device even though the mobile device cannot respond to the page. Paging a mobile that cannot respond is an undesired waste of paging channel resources.
Thus a need exists to maximize paging channel resources by abstaining from paging mobiles that are unlikely to respond. A further need exists for a method and system for determining which mobiles may not respond to pages.